Spiritual Journey

Well hey there!  

You still here?  

You sure are patient!  

Much more than I am at least.  

Or that I was, for I've been working on it! 

How, you ask?  

Let me catch you up on what's been going on with me...spiritually.

Me...under construction!

WAY back in February of last year (I know, it's almost been a year!  You really ARE patient!) I posted about joining a House Church.  It has been one of the most spiritually challenging decisions I have made...aside from my decision to follow Jesus.

I grew up in a high mass Episcopal Church.  Nothing wrong with that.  I was an acolyte from the time I was a kindergartener until about 10th grade, when my family stopped attending that church.  A few years later I met Jesus.

Since then I've attended several churches.  I've learned.  I've grown.  I've worshiped.

I've never learned, grown, or worshiped like I do now.

I've never been surrounded by a group of genuine people who learn, who LOVE, who challenge others, like I am now.

My daily quiet times used to be sporadic, if ever.  And when I had them they were more for checking it off of the list.

Not now.

I still have a lot of room to grow, don't get me wrong, but almost DAILY the Holy Spirit is guiding me and encouraging me to LOVE in ways I didn't know were possible for me.

For, you see, I am not always a nice person.  I can be oh so selfish.  And judgmental.  VERY judgmental.  And...well, this isn't about my list of things wrong about me.  It's how JESUS is changing me!  For the BETTER!

And how daily I am being accepted.  BY ME!  Because the Holy Spirit guides me there.

With all of my faults, and there are oh so many, I've never really liked myself.  Who would?  Like me, that is?  A person who is so quick to judge.  And to get angry when you do things that disturb me?  Not me, for one.  I wouldn't like someone like that.  Nope.  And love them?  Fuhgetaboutit!

But, I'm learning to love me.  Because Jesus does.  And because all of those bad areas?  Yeah, I'm working on those.

Baby steps, people.  Baby steps.

But in the meantime, I can give myself a break.  And truly love who I am NOW.  Because I am HOLY and DEARLY LOVED!

And because I am Holy and Dearly Loved...I can clothe myself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  And above all...I can let the PEACE of Christ rule in my heart.

Whew.  That's HUGE!

PEACE!

Who doesn't want peace?

(And did you notice, earlier, I actually mentioned the Holy Spirit?  Yeah, Him.  I was always a bit, hmmm, embarrassed by people who talked about Him.  Not anymore.  Okay, so maybe just a little if it's weird.  But, God isn't weird.  People are weird.  And when weird people who do weird things talk about the Holy Spirit...THEN I get embarrassed.  Truth.)